Neymar assures Barcelona of being fit for coming season

Barcelona striker Neymar’s injured back is healing well and the Brazil striker is aiming to return to action in a friendly for Barcelona on 18 August, reports The Guardian.

Neymar fractured a bone in his back following a challenge from Colombia’s Juan Zúñiga in Brazil’s World Cup quarter-final victory and was ruled out for the rest of the tournament.

The 22-year-old is due back at Barcelona on 5 August, and told reporters at a promotional event in Japan that he will be ready to play.

“I am recovering bit by bit from the injury and I will arrive in Barcelona at 100%,” he said.“I want to have a good season and I would like to help my team-mates get good results.”

David Luiz is not a defender, claims Leboeuf

TOP 10 MOST EXPENSIVE TRANSFERS: Suarez No4 after quitting Liverpool for Barcelona

Luis Suarez‘s move from Liverpool to Barcelona makes the Uruguayan the fourth most expensive transfer in history.

 

TOP TEN MOST EXPENSIVE TRANSFERS:

1 – Neymar (BRA) in 2013 from Santos to FC Barcelona: €99.7M

2 – Cristiano Ronaldo (POR) in 2009 from Manchester United to Real Madrid: €96M

3 – Gareth Bale (WAL) in 2013 from Real Madrid to Tottenham: €91M

4 – Luis Suarez (URU) in 2014 from Liverpool to FC Barcelona: €81M

5 – Zinedine Zidane (FRA) in 2001 from Juventus to Real Madrid: €75M

6 – Zlatan Ibrahimovic (SWE) in 2009 from Inter Milan to FC Barcelona: €70M

7 – Kaka (BRA) in 2009 from AC Milan to Real Madrid: €67M

8 – Edinson Cavani (URU) in 2013 from Napoli to Paris Saint Germain: €64M

9 – Luis Figo (POR) in 2000 from FC Barcelona to Real Madrid: €61M

10 – Radamel Falcao (COL) in 2013 from Atlético Madrid to Monaco: €60M

REVEALED: The weird Liverpool number request from Markovic

The best No50 ever to wear a Liverpool shirt?

That’s the prospect for Reds fans this season with Lazar Markovic on the brink of signing.

A Bola says the midfielder has been subject of a £20million bid from the Reds as they look to bring in replacements for Luis Suarez.

He is expected to sign a five-year contract with the Merseyside club.

He was reportedly spotted in Liverpool yesterday and has requested the No.50 shirt, which he used to wear at Benfica.

Alexis joins Arsenal with love scandal hanging over him

Alexis Sanchez has arrived at Arsenal with a love scandal hanging over his head.

The Sunday People reports the ex-girlfriend of new Arsenal striker Alexis Sanchez claims she is pregnant with his child.

The revelation has rocked the £30million man’s current girlfriend Laia Grassi, who was pictured posing in an Arsenal shirt after the well-known womaniser joined the Gunners from Barcelona on Friday.

Mary Plaza, 27, says she is now three months pregnant with the Chile forward’s baby and added: “I’m very happy.

“I feel bad for his girlfriend and for her family but Alexis already knows.

“He knows I’m going to go through with the pregnancy and that I’m delighted the child is his.

“I’ve felt awful these first three months but now I’m better.

“I don’t care if it’s a boy or a girl, I just want it to be healthy.”

Sanchez’s new girlfriend Laia, a Spanish art director and designer, has made it clear she is standing by her man despite the pregnancy reports.

She has posted a picture of her and Alexis on her Instagram page with the message: ‘Amor Verdadero’ – Spanish for ‘True Love.’

She has also published another picture of her with a horse in a beautiful country landscape alongside the words: ‘Keep calm.’

NEW GOONER! Khedira agrees 4-year Arsenal contract

Real Madrid midfielder Sami Khedira has agreed to join Arsenal.

Khedira was also wanted by Chelsea, where former Real coach Jose Mourinho was keen on a reunion. However, Sport says Khedira already has agreed personal terms with the Gunners.

The World Cup winner will soon sign a four-year Arsenal contract worth €10 million-a-season.

Khedira is inside the final year of his Real deal and has felt undervalued by management since Mourinho’s departure.

Real boss Carlo Ancelotti has convinced Khedira to stay, but it’s all too late for the German, whose mind is now in London.

Real will seek €25 million for the midfielder.

Real Madrid make breakthrough in Falcao transfer push

The Spanish giants are believed to be close to securing a deal to bring the Colombian to the Bernabeu, despite Monaco insisting that their highly-rated striker is not for sale

Real Madrid are in advanced discussions to make Radamel Falcao their latest Galactico, Goal understands.

The Colombia international has expressed his desire to return to Spain following an injury-interrupted season at AS Monaco.

Goal can confirm an outline agreement has been reached, with further discussions over the transfer fee planned.

Though his current contract does not specify a release fee, it was signed last May on the understanding that Falcao would be permitted to leave the club should an attractive offer emerge at the end of his first season there.

Monaco will expect Madrid to match the €60million transfer fee they paid to sign the former Porto striker from Atletico, although, publicly at least, the Ligue 1 club remain adamant they will not be selling their star striker this summer.

“There are no negotiations with any club for Falcao,” said Monaco’s vice-president Vadim Vasilyev on Thursday.

When questioned on whether Falcao had asked to leave, he replied: “We have not talked about that. We count on him and believe he will have a great season in 2014-2015.

“Nobody is not transferable, I don’t know of any examples in football – yet there is no discussion, we rely on him.”

The 28-year-old missed his nation’s impressive run to the World Cup quarter-finals after damaging his left anterior cruciate ligament during a French Cup tie in January, and the transfer to Madrid is being delayed by his rehabilitation from that setback.

Madrid’s medical department have taken a cautious approach to assessing the player’s recovery, requesting that they be granted the opportunity to see Falcao on the pitch before greenlighting the move.
     
Madrid president Florentino Perez is a long standing admirer of Falcao, having attempted to prise the forward from Atletico Madrid during a two-season spell in which he scored 70 goals in 91 appearances for their cross-city rivals.

Atletico, however, refused to allow their leading scorer to join Los Blancos, paving the way for a move to newly-enriched Monaco instead.
     
Falcao has scored 153 times in 197 club matches in the five seasons since he left South America for Porto, winning back-to-back Europa Leagues and four national trophies.

Barcelona close in on €88m Suarez deal

The Spanish giants are preparing to make a second bid for the Liverpool star that matches the release clause in his contract as talks reach an advanced stage

Barcelona are on the verge of completing the €88 million signing of Liverpool striker Luis Suarez.

Senior officials from Liverpool and Barcelona met in London on Wednesday, with the Catalan club making an initial offer for Suarez of around €82m.

While that initial offer was rebuffed, and discussions involving Alexis Sanchez in a potential cash-plus-player deal were short-lived, Barcelona are now confident of wrapping up the signing in a straight cash deal.

The Spanish giants are expected to table an improved offer that will meet the release fee stipulated in the contract Suarez signed last December. Goal understands that this figure is just over the €88m mark.

Liverpool are still pursuing Sanchez but they are behind Arsenal in the race to land the Chile World Cup star, who is not part of the deal to take Suarez to Camp Nou.

The Merseysiders now expect to receive the third-highest transfer fee for a player at a Premier League club, beaten only by Gareth Bale’s €100m move to Real Madrid last summer and Cristiano Ronaldo’s €94m transfer from Manchester United to the reigning European champions in 2009.

Liverpool’s American owners vowed to stand firm on Suarez’s valuation after he had tarnished his image by biting Giorgio Chiellini and incurring a four-month ban from Fifa.

Fenway Sports Group were adamant during talks with Barca that Suarez could only leave if the valuation of his release fee was met.

Liverpool have not denied that, as revealed by Goal, a release fee was inserted in the new €283,000-a-week contract that Suarez signed at the end of 2013.

All parties now expect the 27-year-old to transfer to Camp Nou and line up alongside Lionel Messi and Neymar in a star-studded front line next season.

Barca went public with their interest in the Uruguayan on Tuesday when sporting director Andoni Zubizarreta praised “humble” Suarez for apologising via Twitter for biting Chiellini.

This open display of affection for the player came just 24 hours before a meeting in London between Barca and Liverpool, who had no involvement in Suarez’s apology.

“Everyone knows that Luis is an excellent player, everyone knows last season he played in various positions in attack, but everyone also knows that he is a Liverpool player,” the Zubizarreta said.

“Regardless of whether the club signs him or not, his quality is unquestionable. He has shown a lot of quality with Uruguay and scored more than 30 goals with Liverpool, so he has the necessary quality to play for Barca.”

Agent of Chelsea keeper Cech seeks Real Madrid, Barcelona talks

The agent of Chelsea goalkeeper Petr Cech is seeking talks with Real Madrid and Barcelona.

Cech’s future at Chelsea is in doubt with Thibaut Courtois set to return after three successful seasons away on-loan at Atletico Madrid.

Viktor Kolar confirmed he would contact other clubs if Chelsea confirm Cech can go.

“I would get in touch with Zubizarreta (Barcelona) and people at Real Madrid. These are clubs we would consider if Chelsea wanted to get rid of Petr. We would also consider Bayern but they have Neuer there.

“Then there are leagues Petr would not go to. For instance, Serie A, because clubs in that league have problems.”

Luiz: Brazil not winning the World Cup will be a failure

The defender understands the expectations on the Selecao players but says the team are focused on claiming the trophy for the fans.

David Luiz has admitted that if Brazil do not win the World Cup on home turf it will be considered a failure.

The Selecao are under pressure to win a record sixth title in front of their fans this summer, with Luiz Felipe Scolari’s team having already progressed to the quarter-final stage of the competition.

Brazil will have to beat an impressive Colombia side in Fortaleza on Friday if they want to book their place in the semi-finals but Luiz says the players will deliver for the fans.

When asked about the expectations on the team at the World Cup, Luiz told The Times of India: “We need to win, that’s our life. All the Brazilian people are expecting it; we have to deliver.

“But, we have a manager, Luiz Felipe Scolari, who has won it and done it before and that helps. He has been fantastic for us.”

Brazil had to overcome a tough last-16 tie against Chile, which the Selecao won on penalties, to reach the quarter-finals.

The team has been criticised for their lack of flair in comparison to previous Brazil sides, but Luiz arugued that what the squad lacked in firepower in the attacking areas, they made up for in defence.

“I know what everyone used to say – that all Brazilians want to be Pele or Zico and don’t think about defending or about tactics,” the centre-back said.

“But, world football has changed because many Brazilian players are now playing in Europe. These guys are used to different formations, different styles.

“There are many, many names of top quality in our defence now, and it means Brazil are no longer known just for their strikers but for being a great team.”

Luiz endured a difficult season at Chelsea last year with the 27-year-old not being part of manager Jose Mourinho’s first-choice central defensive pairing.

Despite his form for his club side last term, the defender admitted that he was grateful to have been called up to represent Brazil at the World Cup by Scolari.

“It made me think back to when I was a boy, dreaming of playing in the World Cup” he said.

“I’m just so happy that my dream came true and I have to say ‘thank you’ to so many people who helped me in my career.”

Luiz will be playing for French champions Paris Saint-Germain next season after Chelsea agreed a £40m fee with the Ligue 1 side.

And the Brazilian has revealed his happiness at the move to France and is confident his compatriots at the club will help him fit in.

“Right from the very first contact I had with Paris Saint-Germain, I was very happy,” he said.

“It’s a big club with a great history and [is] a huge project. It has fantastic facilities and a lot of supporters.

“It’s a new step in my life and I’m impatient to play for Paris and show what I can do. I also can’t wait to play with my new team-mates – the Brazilians, of course – but also everybody else.”

He added: “The fact that so many Brazilians already play for Paris Saint-Germain will be a big help, without doubt.”